OUTDOOR EXPOSURE-Time to Winterize Your Boat-NOW!

Unless you run your boat year-round, most boat owners start putting their boat up for the winter after Labor Day and before Halloween. If you are not a wintertime boater, then you need to have your boat winterized so that you will not have problems this spring.

Winterizing a boat is nothing new, but due to the fact that most gas is 10% ethanol, winterizing is more important than ever. A fuel stabilizer that treats the ethanol is very important if you want your motor to crank in the spring and avoid costs later.

Ethanol attracts water and decreases octane, which adds to the loss of horsepower and can damage an engine. Marine mechanics are reporting more problems in electric fuel pumps and fuel injectors because of ethanol. These problems are what mechanics are calling 'a gritty dirt' that can also be seen in carburetors and fuel filters. Because of these problems with ethanol, why not have your mechanic check for these problems and completely service the motor?

Most motors need to be serviced every year or 100 hours, but check your owner's manual. Your mechanic will not only stabilize the fuel but also change the fuel filter, plugs, the lower unit oil, and motor oil if your engine is a four stoke. Plus your mechanic will do a compression and ignition check and flush out the motor with clean water.

The costs for winterizing and servicing a boat motor can vary from $250-$350 depending on the price of parts and labor. But you can pay a little now for regular service maintenance, or pay a lot later for a major service breakdown.

Get your boat winterized now and be ready for the motor to crank that first time this spring.